The Moonlight Chronicles: RoseWar Era
by Starfire3
Summary: This story takes place a few months after the establishment of Crystal Tokyo. It follows a young girl named Zoe, and her connection to Crystal Tokyo and the scouts. This is the first of a 3 part series. --- WILL BE UPDATED WITHIN THE WEEK! 02/08/02.
1. Prologue

JUST A STANDARD DISCLAIMER  
  
I don't own SailorMoon, or any of the characters except those I'll note as I introduce. I suppose, in a way, I do kind of own this plotline & story, so please don't take them, or build off of them until asking (I rarely refuse permission!). I'm a full time student, have a part-time minimum wage job, a maxed out Visa, and two cats to feed. There really is no need to sue me, as you won't get much.  
  
  
  
  
  
INTRODUCTION: A MESSAGE FROM XANTHE  
  
My name is Xanthe, aka StarFyre, and this is my first SM fic posted at FanFiction.Net. I don't own Sailor Moon, of course; this is just a work of fan-fiction using the same characters made famous in the manga and anime. I'm using the English names, because even though I've seen all the episodes in Japanese and in English, I'm more familiar with the English version (and, besides, I don't speak Japanese... yet!) I know there are some of you out there who think this is a travesty, and it very well may be, but it's the way I'm doing things for now, so bear with me, please. :)  
  
  
  
This story may or may not go along with the Crystal Tokyo plot as it is in the manga/anime; I'm not sure yet. If it doesn't, then please understand that that's the beauty of fan fiction: you can tell whatever story you want, whether or not it's 'correct.'  
  
  
  
I have a fairly busy schedule, so unless I get into one of my "must- write-fanfic-now!" moods (which hasn't happened in well over a year, I might add), I'll probably not continue this fic unless someone shows interest. Now, I'm not saying "Please review!!! NOW!!," I'm just trying to point out that if you're interested in the story, or found it enjoyable, drop me a line letting me know so I can work my ass of and finally FINISH something, for a change. ;-)  
  
  
  
If you'd like the story emailed to you, feel free to drop me a line. I don't mind, as long as you're not selling it, or publicly mocking it (I think that would bother me a tiny bit), or plagiarizing it on your website (has been done, did not turn out well...).  
  
  
  
That should be it. Thank you for reading The Moonlight Chronicles (eh, the title needs work).  
  
Xanthe aka StarFyre  
  
StarFire@Pajama-Cat.Com  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
THE MOONLIGHT CHRONICLES: Rose War Era, A Time of Loss  
  
Prologue  
  
It was night, dark and cold. An evil sleep fell upon my beloved Crystal Tokyo, and there it haunted us for many years. The Queen – Neo Queen Serenity – gave daily public announcements from a balcony in the palace, telling us all that everything would be okay, and that goodness, light, and love from within would prevail, and shield us from any harm. I believed her then, as I still believe her now, even though faith is hard to grasp in times such as they were.  
  
  
  
Her messages were poignant and strong, yet passionate and tender. They held hope for the future, and hope for Crystal Tokyo. I remember one, in particular detail.  
  
  
  
The Queen was dressed all in white that day – silk, I remember thinking to myself, though I can't be sure – with her hair in its usual fashion, and King Endymion by her side. Her voice echoed throughout the Kingdom without assistance – that's how powerful her message was, and how self- assured I thought she must be. Yet, even at it's most powerful, her voice didn't strike fear or worry into any hearts that day; quite the contrary, it was as if an angel were singing its praises, glorious and free.  
  
  
  
There was a moment in her speech that she began to tear up, but remained strong for her people. I noticed that the King pressed his hand against hers, and lent her his courage to finish. What a sight they were! A fairytale couple, the two of them, never more in love than they were at the present; rarely an angry word spoken between them.  
  
  
  
From a tree-top near the palace gates, I sat each morning, and awaited her words of kindness and of strength. I used to imagine for hours upon end that one day she would see me for who I really was. Surely she, the Queen of the New Era, the one with such a pure heart, and loving nature, would see what no one else did; would see that I was 'different.' These daydreams took me out of this reality, and often caused me to speak or giggle amongst others who knew none the better. I was but a child at the time, and I enjoyed such reveries, whether or not the other children didn't quite understand.  
  
  
  
Then, one morning, while I was waiting atop a tree limb for the fair Queen's speech, I was so caught up in this self-created world that I lost my balance and fell into the gardens below. I was so frightened! What would mama say? Or papa? I told myself that I would tell them that I had been injured not on the rosebushes outside the palace, but that I had tripped and fallen somewhere else… the details would have to come on my journey home. They didn't need to know where I had been, or what I was doing, or how I had become so careless. They wouldn't understand; I knew they wouldn't.  
  
  
  
I didn't even realize I was crying until someone came along and asked if I was okay. This person was the Queen herself – Serenity! Oh, the shame and humiliation I felt when I realized that this was the person I admired most in life, and who, in my dreams, had befriended me for so long; and here I was, crying in front of her! What must she have thought of me?!  
  
  
  
I tried to run away, if nothing more than to save face, but she caught my shoulders and helped me away from the thorny vines that had entangled my legs. It was then that I looked into her eyes – so blue! – And she, in turn, into mine. For a split second, I thought she saw! I thought she knew! I thought, maybe, she could see what I longed for, and what I had inside of me that no one else knew about! But then I realized that she only saw in me what she saw in everyone else: a kind heart, and a good soul. There was nothing special about me, to her, even though I knew that deep down there was something fierce brewing inside. If only she could've seen then. If only.  
  
  
  
After this brief encounter, I went home, and told my mother and father exactly what I had planned: that I had fallen somewhere that wasn't near the palace, as I had been forbidden to be there.  
  
  
  
Weeks passed before I had courage enough to face the Palace again. I was afraid she might see me, and remember me as I had been when we first met – a scared little girl with scratches on her legs. Even in my daydreams, that's what I felt. The dream-friend – the only friend – I thought I had now thought me nothing more than a crying child. But before too long, I decided I must see her again, even from afar.  
  
  
  
One early morning, I dressed and crept out of the house unnoticed by any. Atop my tree, I waited, my eyes fixed to the balcony where my dear 'friend' had often been seen. For hours, I waited, in hopes of catching even a glimpse through the windows; but dawn turned to day, and day then to night, and she never did appear. I thought this just a fluke! She must've overslept, or taken a day off; surely there was a reasonable excuse for her not stepping one foot outside that day!  
  
  
  
But it was no fluke, nor was it something I had imagined. For days after that, I waited, watching intently upon windows and doorways, and gates. For days I sat atop that tree waiting for even her silhouette in the draped windows.  
  
  
  
But she never did appear.  
  
Yes, it's supposed to be this confusing at first. :) I'll try and get some more relevant stuff online next week, because I have nothing but 8 hours to kill when I'm at work during the day. I hope you've enjoyed it, and even if you haven't, reading makes you smarter, so it's not been a complete waste of your time. –Xanthe. 


	2. The Brethren

JUST A STANDARD DISCLAIMER  
  
I don't own Sailor Moon, or any of the characters except those I'll note as I introduce. I suppose, in a way, I do kind of own this plotline & story, so please don't take them, or build off of them until asking (I rarely refuse permission!). I'm a full time student, have a part-time minimum wage job, a maxed out Visa, and two cats to feed. There really is no need to sue me, as you won't get much.  
  
  
  
  
  
A MESSAGE FROM XANTHE  
  
I usually write in Microsoft Word, and have everything formatted accordingly. Unfortunately, since I'm fairly new to this set-up, I haven't yet figured a way to make the formatting appear on the screen. I've even tried HTML tags, but they haven't seemed to work for me as of yet. Alas. If you'd like a copy of this in Word form (a .doc file), you can request one via email, and I'll send it out to you. This comes in handy if you're like me, and print out fanfic to read during work the next day (mwahaha!).  
  
Xanthe aka StarFyre  
  
StarFire@Pajama-Cat.Com  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
THE MOONLIGHT CHRONICLES: Rose War Era, A Time of Loss  
  
Chapter One – The Brethren  
  
During the days that I failed to see Serenity, I felt lost; hollow. I felt a war brewing inside my body, filled with fierce energy that I could not comprehend, nor communicate to anyone outside myself. I was afraid for her, and her family, and her friends. And myself. Something wasn't right, and I could feel it in my bones, just as I knew she could. How foolish I was to think that she of all people would take notice upon me, seeing what was inside, and perhaps explaining it to me, so I wouldn't feel so alone and frightened.  
  
  
  
Slowly, my daydreams began to fade, unlike the torment I felt within. I grew to be a happy child, even though I was often left in solitary by my peers. There was a brief period where I did not think of the Queen, or of the Palace, and I didn't once visit my tree-top I had become so attached to. All of this, I thought, was part of my past, and I would never again venture down that path.  
  
  
  
The Queen was seen to many who happened to glance at the Palace at the right time. They all agreed that she looked fatigued – exhausted, but that she was well, and just busy with international affairs, and other Royal duties. Whether or not this was true, I haven't a clue, but I didn't let it bother me so as it would've before. She was a Queen, I was a child, and beyond being one of her subjects, I was nothing more, and never would be. That was the reality I had come to accept.  
  
  
  
There was hushed talk around the village of 'The Brethren.' To this day, I can't really be sure why there was so much talk of them. As a child at the time, I was shielded from most political and current events, aside from what I would occasionally hear while pretending I was too absorbed in my studies to pay attention, or when I would act as if I was out-of-earshot, when I was not.  
  
  
  
"The Brethren," one said, "will help defeat the darkness. They will be our allies if… when… we go to war."  
  
  
  
"The Brethren are fools!" said another, with an obviously more furious temper. "They are our enemies, or soon will be. They work for their own benefit and that alone. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if they betray Serenity, when Darkness offers them a better sum."  
  
  
  
My father was sitting facing me, his head on his hands in a thoughtful manner, though he did not agree nor disagree this whole time I had been watching. His eyes looked up to catch my gaze, and fearful that I had been caught, I quickly turned back to my studies.  
  
  
  
"Zoë-girl," he called. "Come here."  
  
  
  
With my head down, I weakly made it by his side, and placed my hand in his. It was significantly larger than my own, and always so warm. For a split second I began wondering if there would be a day when my own hand could be as warm, or as soft.  
  
  
  
"Zoë." He quickly snapped me out of my reverie. "Zoë, have you been listening?"  
  
  
  
"No…" I didn't have the heart to lie to my father. "Yes, papa." I quickly tore my head down again. But instead of being reprimanded, I was pulled into a tight hug. My father smelled of peppermint that day, I remember wondering if it was his aftershave, or the candies he had stashed in his coat-pocket.  
  
  
  
"And what do you think about the happenings, Zoë?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know…" I mumbled in a low voice, afraid to be heard by the intelligent people near my father and me.  
  
  
  
"Come, now, Zoë. You must have an opinion. I have it on pretty good authority that you know as much about what's going on as we do. Share your insight."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Zoë. Please! We must know." A blonde woman I don't remember ever seeing before chimed in. I've never been sure if she was attempting condescension, or intrigue, though common sense leads me to believe the former.  
  
  
  
With all eyes on me, I said nothing. It was my mother who broke the silence. "Anton, stop it. You're scaring her."  
  
  
  
"Circa, she's almost twelve!" my father said with a laugh. "We can't shield her forever, and it seems we haven't been doing such a good job at it lately." He turned to me and smiled. "You're not scared, are you, girl?"  
  
  
  
I shook my head no.  
  
  
  
"Then, come on! Out with it! What do you think of The Brethren and their intentions with Crystal Tokyo?"  
  
  
  
I crawled onto his lap, and took a deep breath. Did they really want to know my opinion? Perhaps they thought it would lighten the mood, hearing a child's view.  
  
  
  
"The Brethren are six warriors, each with an army, each possessing a Bestia-Amble stone given to them by Trokia to enhance their powers…" I looked at my father for signs of assurance.  
  
  
  
"Go on."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Zoë, continue!" said the Blonde Lady.  
  
  
  
"The warriors do not fight for good or evil, and do not take orders. Some say that the Queen has asked their assistance, because the stones are nearly invincible when joined with the Silver Crystal. But maybe they're just here to collect the Silver Crystal for themselves, and have no intention at all of helping rid Crystal Tokyo of the Darkness.  
  
I think that She knows what's best, and that we should trust her, because she's done nothing to make us question her abilities before, and I don't think she'd ever let anything bad happen, or cause it to happen by summoning The Brethren. Maybe we don't need to know what her plans are."  
  
  
  
When I stopped, I noticed that my mother and father were staring intently into each other's eyes, as if communicating with facial expressions only. They both looked so worried, and so cautious. I looked back and forth at them for a couple of seconds, before my mother realized there was no more sound coming from my mouth, or the mouths of her other guests, and broke the silence once more.  
  
  
  
"Thank you, Zoë, for sharing your thoughts."  
  
  
  
"Yes," said the Blonde Lady, "thank you for setting all at ease about the situation."  
  
  
  
Bard spoke next. He was my father's brother, and I guess that makes him my uncle. I've rarely seen him in a state of sobriety, where he could walk without assistance, or talk without his speech being slurred. For the longest time, I thought maybe there was an accident before I was born that had left him this way. But as I grew older, I realized that he was just usually drunk.  
  
  
  
"Bravo! Bravo!" he said, then laughed maniacally until his face was red and streaked with tears. "Moon Lady." This started another laughter fit from him, and some disgusted looks from the others around the table.  
  
  
  
"Zoë," my father said, "I think it's time for bed." I nodded in agreement, and with a tight hug from my father, I was off to my nightly ritual of sleep preparation.  
  
  
  
As I left the room, I turned back to notice that my mother and father were looking at each other once again. I stood at the corner for a minute, listening to the chatter continue.  
  
  
  
"Silver Crystal!" The Blonde Lady said. "Bestia-Amble stones from Trokia!" She laughed a little, and sipped her tea. "Kids will believe anything, won't they? Like that ridiculous story of Neo-Queen Serenity being from a Kingdom on the Moon, of all places."  
  
  
  
"Moon Lady!" Bard's laughter filled the room once more.  
  
  
  
"Yes…" My mother smiled, and laughed a slight laugh, then turned her gaze to my father once again, who was back to saying nothing at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
The palace was filled with quiet whispers and the glow of an amber fireplace. The six of them were in the study – Lita, Mina, Amy, Raye, Neo-Queen Serenity, and her King, Endymion.  
  
  
  
Raye kneeled by the fire, in deep concentration. She had been attempting fire-readings all that night, and sweat beaded her obviously- exhausted face. "By the power of Mars, I beg of you! Show me the source of this Evil, and its weakness!" Here eyes opened wide, and she gasped as images fluttered in her mind. The first was that of a butterfly, made of fire, with no surroundings. The second was of a young girl in a garden, talking to flowers. She had red hair, and emerald eyes, and a very fair complexion. The final images Raye saw were so confusing, and so fast, that she didn't quite know what to make of them. With excessive force, she was knocked from her position at the fire, and slid on her right side across the marble floor.  
  
  
  
"Raye!" Lita, being the closest, was the first to her aid as she helped her raven-haired friend off the floor. "What did you see?"  
  
  
  
"The same thing I always see. This is useless!" The frustrated girl placed her head in her hands, trying to calm the pain inside.  
  
  
  
"Maybe we should call it a night." Serenity soaked a cloth in cold water and offered it to Raye, who pushed it away sternly.  
  
  
  
"I'm fine. I just need to try harder, that's all."  
  
  
  
"No offense, Raye, but that's what you said last time." Mina chirped, resting a hand on the tired Fire Guardian's shoulder.  
  
  
  
"Serenity's right. I think we all need to rest, and try again tomorrow." Everyone spoke in agreement with Amy.  
  
  
  
Raye let out a surrendering sigh. "Fine. We'll rest tonight." And with that, they all departed to their corresponding wings of the giant Palace.  
  
  
  
That night, Raye dreamed of the visions she had seen. The young girl; the fire-butterfly; the void that seemed to encompass them all. In her dream, she asked her visions to make sense, but she only saw what she had seen before, and nothing had become clearer.  
  
  
  
Huh. This was a little bit longer than I had intended, and I thought about separating them into two chapters. However, I didn't want two chapters from only Zoë's point of view. Again, I'll note that I do have these typed up and formatted in a Word document, so if you'd rather see that, you can email me. Also, as soon as my fiction site is back online (scheduled for re-release on February 1st), I'll have them formatted into HTML.  
  
Thanks for reading!  
  
Xanthe. 


	3. The Sacred Garden

JUST A STANDARD DISCLAIMER  
  
I don't own Sailor Moon, or any of the characters except those I'll note as I introduce. I suppose, in a way, I do kind of own this plotline & story, so please don't take them, or build off of them until asking (I rarely refuse permission!). I'm a full time student, have a part-time minimum wage job, a maxed out Visa, and two cats to feed. There really is no need to sue me, as you won't get much.  
  
  
  
  
  
A MESSAGE FROM XANTHE  
  
Yesterday, when I was supposed to join in on a class discussion, I was writing fanfic. Then, when I was supposed to be finishing an art project, I was writing fanfic. When it came time to turn it in, I was writing fanfic. &now that I'm FOUR days behind in all of my classes, I have nothing better to do than to write more fanfic. Alas.  
  
Thanks to Celeste-Chan for the kind words on the Prologue. Reviewing is not necessary – I know my worth isn't measured by messages in a guestbook or review forum! – but it does help me develop story arcs sometimes, and any constructive criticism is welcome.  
  
My fanfic site is almost online again, so you'll be able to view these stories in Word format if you'd prefer. When it's ready, I'll link it here; until then, feel free to email me (starfire@pajama-cat.com) if you'd like to have the formatted files.  
  
Xanthe aka StarFyre  
  
StarFire@Pajama-Cat.Com  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
THE MOONLIGHT CHRONICLES: Rose War Era, A Time of Loss  
  
  
  
Chapter Two – The Sacred Garden  
  
Despite her troublesome sleep, Raye awoke refreshed early the next morning. In fact, she soon noticed that she was the only one stirring about the castle, excluding the staff, and a few diplomatic guests who were still suffering some intergalactic jetlag.  
  
  
  
The weather was growing colder, though not so cold as to require heavy fabrics and long sleeves. Raye donned a silk robe, and attached a hooded red velvet cloak around her neck, so she could comfortably visit the Palace gardens.  
  
  
  
The gardens were beautifully sculpted, and decorated with fountains and ponds, and a gazebo with climbing roses all around. Before dawn was when they were at their peak. The night had left a soft mist on the flower-petals that made them glisten when hit by the first rays of sunlight. Raye found this place very calming, and often visited here to practice her meditation and visualization exercises.  
  
  
  
Raye filled a basket with things she would need this morning: a large blood-red candle; a cigarette lighter (the sulfur from matches causes a disturbance in the inter-dimensional field); an old pashmina scarf; her journal, and an ink pen.  
  
  
  
With her basket in tow, she began walking down the long hallway that connected to a white spiral staircase leading to the main floor of the Palace. Her footsteps sounded loudly on the marble floor, and echoed throughout the tall walls, as if someone in her shadows was following her every move a few seconds later. When Raye had first moved into the Palace, early morning treks such as this one would send her defenses into overdrive. In time, however, she grew to enjoy the silence, and tolerate the echoing of her own footsteps throughout the South wing.  
  
  
  
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she reached the door to the gardens. One of the disadvantages to living at the center of Crystal Tokyo was the amount of distance between one point, and another, unless one was traveling within just one wing. She glanced back at the Palace to see if there were any tell-tale lights flashing in the other girls' rooms, and then made her way to what she considered to be the most sacred places in the garden.  
  
  
  
It was a field of wild flowers, growing in a very secluded garden near the East wing, and held a nice view of the surrounding rivers. There was a shrubbery of some kind shaping this section of the gardens, which kept visitors from interrupting during times of deep meditation. Raye had once caught a glimpse of her Sacred Garden while gazing from Amy's balcony one night. The whites and yellows that dominated the garden below formed a beautiful off-white rose from that perspective, even though there were purples, blues, reds, and pinks displaced as well.  
  
  
  
Raye placed the scarf in front of her, and knelt on the edge between the stepping-stone path, and the flowers themselves, careful not to damage even one. She lit the candle, and stared deeply into the flame, until she felt herself shift into a trance-like state. She was drifting, drifting throughout her own mind, drifting throughout time and space. It was a peaceful feeling, and one she had become accustomed to over the years.  
  
  
  
She had once struggled to achieve this feeling, and now it came naturally to her. She thought of this while transcending deep within her own depths, in search for answers to last night's confusion.  
  
  
  
"I must find the answer. I must help my friends defeat this Darkness that's taking over the land."  
  
  
  
In her mind's eye, she saw herself in the same garden as the young girl, though the girl didn't seem to know she was there. Just as before, the girl was conversing with the flowers, and the butterflies, and the birds in the trees.  
  
  
  
"What am I supposed to see?" Raye asked the girl in her mind. This time, the girl looked at her and smiled as if knowing she was there the whole time, but said nothing and turned away again to reply to a dandelion that must've had a short temper.  
  
  
  
Raye reached out to touch the girl, but caught herself as she realized the girl wasn't real, but a part of her own mind. "Please, little one. Won't you help me?" This time, the girl replied.  
  
  
  
"How exactly am I to help you, Raye? You are seeing all that you need to see. It isn't my place to give you all the answers; it is your place to find them."  
  
  
  
Raye thought about this for a while, while the girl played with the butterflies, and talking flowers. The girl was right; Raye needed to figure this out on her own. But how could she, when the messages didn't make sense?  
  
  
  
Before Raye could speak again, the girl replied, apparently in sync with her thoughts.  
  
  
  
"You must remember that you are given what you need to solve the puzzle." At this, a butterfly landed on the girl's hand, and she delicately stroked its wings. She gave Raye a sweet smile, and lifted the butterfly to meet her touch.  
  
  
  
Before Raye could reach the butterfly, it began to glow a fierce red. She had no time to think before she was thrown into an area of black void; the next vision.  
  
  
  
Raye looked about her surroundings only long enough to realize what had happened, and where she was. She intrigued, not frightened, and had many questions on whether or not she would be able to communicate without a spirit guide to assist her.  
  
  
  
There was no appearance of a floor, yet she was walking on something solid. There was no appearance of walls, or ceilings, yet she seemed to feel a boundary about her. She felt very puzzled by this place, yet she forced herself to move on, and ponder it no more. She had a prophecy to interpret before it was too late to prevent apocalypse.  
  
  
  
After a very long period of walking – she didn't know how long, because she found herself unaware of time in this place – she began to see a bright light forming at the end of the 'tunnel' she was in. She tried to gain speed, but it seemed that no matter how fast, or how slow, she was walking, she kept the same pace.  
  
  
  
The light was recognized, before too long, as the fire-butterfly she had seen in last night's vision; except, this wasn't a butterfly at all. The wings were the same, and looked almost translucent, as if they were made of silk-flame, but upon closer inspection, and more time to notice details, she began to see that although the wings were solid, this fire creature had every other appearance of a bird; a large bird, with sharp talons, and piercing eyes.  
  
  
  
She reached out to touch it, and to her disbelief, it wasn't hot at all, but very cold, and left her skin feeling damp. Seeing that it wasn't solid, Raye slid her fingers through the fire-bird-mist, and began to walk through.  
  
  
  
"This must lead somewhere," she thought. She was right.  
  
  
  
On the other side was a tower, with tapestries all around, and many large windows displaying the ruins of the Moon Kingdom from the Silver Millennium. She was soon greeted by none other than Jadeite, and though she thought this a bit strange, she silently let him guide her to a small parlor, where there were only two chairs facing toward a beautiful garden below.  
  
  
  
She took her place by the window, and began gazing at the many formations created from flowers and ponds and fountains. To her surprise, she could see her Sacred Garden from the window, forming the same off-white rose as it did in Crystal Tokyo. Her thoughts were shattered by a gentle knock at the door, which opened without waiting for a response.  
  
  
  
It was Jadeite, with a visitor for Raye. The dark-haired woman walked in to take her seat, and politely excused him of any further service.  
  
  
  
"Have you been waiting long?"  
  
"Trista?" Raye was more confused than ever. "Why are you here?"  
  
  
  
"You tell me. It is your mind, after all."  
  
  
  
"I need answers."  
  
  
  
The figure of Trista smiled slightly, and took Raye's head in her hands. "We all do, child. We all do." She kissed Raye's symbol-bearing forehead, and suddenly Raye was alone in her garden.  
  
  
  
The scene hadn't changed much at all, but she could tell from the horizon, and the candle that had burned down to nothing more than a pile of wax, that it was dusk now, not dawn. She sat there for a while, going through everything once more in her mind, consciously this time. Her journal was steady on her lap, and her pen was pressing into it, stroking it, at an alarmingly fast rate, noting every detail while it was still fresh in her mind. She wrote as the thoughts came, and didn't care about stopping mid-sentence to begin a fresh one; she would clean it up later.  
  
  
  
As she finished writing her thoughts, Raye took a moment to glance about her surroundings once more. She took note of the dimming horizon, and the Palace, which seemed to glimmer like the flowers at dawn. Her gaze went all around, absorbing every feeling of peace that was within her.  
  
  
  
Her peace did not last long, however, as her gaze reached the Palace gates, and it's accompanying gardens. In a tree, near the top, there was a girl; a girl with red hair and green eyes, staring at the Queen through an open Palace window.  
  
Again, it's long, and kind of slow. Maybe it will pick up within the next few chapters. Maybe.  
  
Xanthe. 


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